Do you have Bed Bugs?
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite” is not a welcome phrase in my house. The nasty little buggers are a serious cause for stress and a nightmare for families and businesses to deal with. According to The National Pest Management Association, 1 in 5 Americans have been impacted or know someone who has had bed bugs.
If you think you might have bed bugs, the first step is to call for an inspection. Call Now: (321) 499-9114 or fill out our contact form.
According to PestWorld.org, Bed bugs may be easily confused with other pests. Eighty-four percent of pest control professionals were contacted about a different type of pest before identifying them as bed bugs. Seventy-one percent were about fleas, followed by cockroaches. Green Wing can quickly help determine if you do indeed have a bed bug infestation.
History of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are ancient insects dating back to ancient Egypt. Yes, seriously. According to BBC, archaeologists even discovered what seem to be fossilized bed bugs thought to be about 3,500 years old. Studies have suggested that they lived off bats first and then moved on to humans.
These gross insects were close to being eradicated, but because companies began using unsafe chemicals to treat the bugs, they are making a big comeback due to resistance and international travel.
Central Florida is extremely vulnerable to bed bug infestations (see bed bug heat map).
Bed Bug Heat Map
I think we can blame a friendly mouse down in Orlando for that one!
The good news is that no communicable disease has been attributed to bedbugs. The bad news is the itching can be miserable and some people can have allergic reactions to the bites.
Where Do They Hide?
Typically found in couches and bed frames, bed bugs are also found in some of the most unexpected places, including:
- stuffed animals
- new mattresses
- wheelchairs
- airplanes
- school buses
- purses
- and even inside bedside lamps
What do They Look Like?
Bed Bug Lifecycle
How does Green Wing Treat Bed Bugs?
Heat is safe for people and deadly for bed bugs. Green Wing uses heat and fans to set up convection of air that penetrates into small crevices and wall openings where they hide.
Our heat treatments can destroy all stages of the bed bug life cycle, but by adding effective and safe chemical treatments we can also keep infestations at bay. Green Wing will give you detailed information on how to prepare for a heat treatment so we can make the treatment as effective and safe as possible. They are great at hiding and avoiding chemical treatments. Not only does heat destroy all bed bug life cycles but it makes the bugs more susceptible to conventional chemical control measures.
More Bed Bug Info and Facts from the National Pest Management Association:
- They can lay one to five eggs in a day and more than 500 in a lifetime.
- They can survive for several months without eating.
- They can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
- They draw blood for about five minutes before retreating to digest.
- Their hatchlings are so small they can pass through a stitch-hole in a mattress.
- They can ingest seven times their own weight in blood, which would be the equivalent of an average-sized male drinking 120 gallons of liquid.
- They are in all 50 U.S. states.
Luckily, these pests can be controlled starting with the first visit. Learn more about our process. We create a follow-up schedule for your home or business to keep these pests at bay. Life is good pest-free!
Your bug guy,
Jeff Daniels